Pennywise and The Traveling Carnival
by HowlynMad
Summary: The carnival hasn't been the same since Mister Robert Gray joined the troupe. The carnival is changing and not for the better. What does Pennywise the Clown have to do with this new sinister direction? (Pennywise in the early 20th century) UPDATED.


-o-o-o-o-o-o

Something was wrong, very, very, wrong. Henry had seen the stack of money that Kellogg had taken from one, 'Mister Robert Gray' that day. It was more money than he made in six months. Who bought their way into a carnie job? As a clown? That, was suspicious enough. Now, the carnival that had teetered on bankruptcy for more months than not, seemed to be growing. Attendance was up and the crowd was spending well. What Gray had to do with the sudden good fortune wasn't clear, but something had changed.

You couldn't deny the strange new atmosphere that permeated the carnival now. The lights burned hotter, the colors shown brighter. There was an edge of hysteria to it, like the whole place had been drugged. Fights seemed to break out on a regular basis, and he'd caught more than one couple in a compromising position.

He'd fallen off the wagon for the first time in eight years. It was the only thing that helped ease the tension. There was something addictive about it, an anticipation, a… desire. It was almost like arousal, a boner that you can't get rid of, you want release, but the anticipation is achingly sublime. And it all started after "Pennywise" the clown joined their troupe. That's when the money started rolling in and that's when something… took hold.

He'd meant to introduce himself on more than one occasion but as soon as he made up his mind, as soon as he'd head in the clown's direction, something would give him pause. Last night, it had been a strut on the merry-go-round that he suddenly remembered he hadn't tightened properly. He immediately went to check, only to find that he'd been wrong. Despite his vivid recollection, it was fine. After that, he'd forgotten all about introductions. He'd been doing that a lot lately. It was starting to concern him. He wasn't able to concentrate, his mind was in a fog most of the time.

What was worse, the miasma seemed to be spreading. Generally, the denizens of the carnival would get together for at least one meal a day. This allowed them to not only talk about business related issues but to socialize as the dysfunctional family that they were. Their conversations were loud and often bawdy. It was a good way to commiserate and let off steam. But lately, mealtimes had been subdued, distracted. Kellogg was a staunch advocate for everyone attending these meals to keep the bonds strong. Mister Gray had yet to put-in a single appearance. He rarely came out of his trailer at all.

In fact, the clown seldom actually performed on stage which was more than odd. You were more likely to see him in his fancy dress costume hovering on the edge of the crowd. Sometimes, he would hand out balloons, other times, he would hover like a specter. Just watching the people, like he was waiting for something… or someone. No one approached him. Children especially, gave him a wide berth.

His performances were something else entirely. At best, his stage show left you feeling uncomfortable, at worst, downright distressed. But you couldn't turn away. You couldn't 'not watch'. There was something unearthly about it. That's the only way he knew to describe it. And it certainly hadn't scared the crowds away. They returned, night after night.

Henry looked towards the painted trailer with the bold, red, paint proclaiming, 'Pennywise the Dancing Clown'. The image of the smiling clown bore little resemblance to the man that he'd seen. Oh, it was the same white, face-painted, design, same tufted, orange, hair but the expression on the image was innocuous and inviting. The image smiled down with a childlike glee. The portrait's counterpart held the same youthful countenance but there was nothing innocent about it. There was something off about him. The way he looked, the way he moved, the whole package screamed wrong. Kellogg and his toady, Monty, were the only two that ever seemed to have any personal interaction with Gray at all. Henry's expression was pensive. Why? He resolved to meet their newest addition that evening, come hell or high water.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Henry looked out across the crowd. It was a wall to wall Saturday night. You'd think there would be smiles and laughter all around, but there wasn't. There was a pall over the crowd. Some, looked like they didn't even know why they were there. They just wandered aimlessly from attraction to attraction never playing the games, never boarding the rides. Most appeared enthralled by the lights and sounds. They stared at the garish rides and cheap prizes like they were marvels previously unseen, like they walked into another world. It was all too much, Henry thought, but what did it all mean?

Money talked and bullshit walked. The carnival was prospering for the first time in years. So, everyone seemed to turn a blind eye. Now, it was almost like they didn't see it. Didn't see that something was skewed, that reality had shifted and warped into a miasma of something dark and foreboding. Henry motioned with his arm and Cal, one of the midway's barkers sauntered over.

"You ready for a break?" he inquired, with a Cajun drawl.

"Yeah, more than ready." Henry leapt over the plywood counter. "I stocked the prizes and filled the board. You're set for awhile."

"Yaw, thanks. Good eating." Cal gave him a nod and turned to the passersby, "Step up and pop a balloon for a prize! Easy peasy! Win a prize!"

Henry wandered down the midway towards the stage area, where the performers would be wowing the crowd with music, magic, and fun. He would bet next week's pay that Pennywise the Clown wasn't on stage with the rest. Some instinct drew him away from the midway and around to a secondary path where the pace was slower. Less rowdy teenagers and more moms with little ones, strolled the hard- packed ground. This part of the carnival housed more gift kiosks than games of chance. If playing the odds wasn't your thing, cold, hard, cash would be gladly accepted.

There was a warm August breeze that brushed by and the hair on Henry's arms stood. He swallowed hard. All of a sudden, he didn't feel so good. The world started to spin. What was happening to him? He paused, gratefully leaning against one of the food trucks. The calliope started bellowing a tune that competed with the nearby merry-go-round. The discordant sound made his head throb in punctuation to the beat. His heart was racing. He took deep cleansing breaths and finally his head cleared. The world righted itself and he looked around, blinking owlishly.

Farther along, were a few food-court areas with seating where tots of various ages ran circles around tables. Their shouts and laughter floated on the breeze like a living thing. Women chatted with one another amidst the chaos with practiced calm. Henry stared at the scene and everything seemed to slow down. It was happening again. The occupants of the tables had ceased conversation and the children's exuberant screams took on a distressed tone. Through a narrow gap between two food vendors, Henry caught a flash of orange. What was that? He shook his head lightly and the clown came into sharp focus. Had he been there a moment before? It was Mister Robert Gray himself, well, his alter ego, anyway.

Pennywise the clown stood watching the same scene of delighted childhood with a handful of red balloons in his white gloved hand and a small smirk on his face. Was he seeing the same thing, feeling the wrongness? He needed to know. Henry took a few sluggish steps forward only to find that each step became more and more difficult. It was almost as if the air pressure increased, the closer he approached, slowing his progress with each step. The disquiet he felt was blossoming into fear.

With determination, Henry clamped down on his emotions. Whatever was happening, fear would not serve him. He took another weighted step and Pennywise's head turned slowly in his direction. Even at distance, he could see the man's startling blue eyes. They seemed so bright, they almost glowed. He took another step. Henry's breath caught in his throat. Something crawled along his spine like ants. The source of his unease_ was_ the clown.

Pennywise's smile grew and he nodded in Henry's direction. With a flourish, he bowed. And he was gone.


End file.
